Dry-cell manufacture



Aug. 19, 1930. H. E. KIP 1,773,229

DRY CELL MANUFACTURE Filed May 2s, 1927 2 sheets-sheet 1 H. E. KIP

DRY CELL MANUFACTURE Aug. 19, 1930.

Filed May 25, 192'? 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 lg- Pv llzyoze;

BY 5 2%/ 9 ATTORNEYS.

Q Rv Patented Aug. 19, 1930 UNITED sifrasl P.ern-nar OFFICE HENRY n x1?, or LAKEWOOD, OHIO, AssIGNoB. 'ro NATIONAL CARBON co., INC., A

- CORPORATION OFNEW xonx i DRY-CELL MANUFAOTURE I Application leday 23, 1927. Serial. No. 193,614.

This invention relates to the manufacture of dry cells and more particularly to the manufacture of electrode units for flat type dry batteries similar in general respects to those disclosed in Rider and Huntley Patent No.

1,508,987, assigned to' National Carbon Co.

Inc. 4

In making a battery of flat type cells, socalled duplex electrodes are employed, each of which consists of aplate of metal, such as zinc, coated on one face with a conductive composition, such as carbonaceous material. In a battery assembly of a series of such electrodes a body of depolarzing material, com- T prising a moist mixture of carbonaceous material, manganese dioxide and electrolyte, is

disposed between the coated side of one electrode and the uncoated side of the next one, such depolarizer contacting directly with the 2 carbonaceous coating and being slightly separated from the uncoated face oi' the zinc plate by a sheetof bibulous material, such as pulp board or paper moistened with excitant paste. Heretofore, each depolarizer body or mix cake has either been inolded separately and then appliedl or moldeddirectly in place onto the coated or carbon side of a duplex electrode. The depolarizer'is moist and containselectrolytesalts-which tend to corrode the imolds and4 often mix is left adhering to the latter, thus 'causing ineiiicient operation of the molding'machine, requiring too frequent interruptions of the machine for cleaning, adjustment or repairs, and resulting in dam- '35 aged cell elements.

from the following description, takenl with '-the accompanying drawings, in-which:

Figs. 1 and 2 are respectively,.sectional and end views of a machine forextruding depo' larizing material; 1 l `A v Fig. 3 is a side View, partly inpsection,ill1 1sy 50 trating a machine according to my invention," for cutting depolarizer mix cakesand apply ing the same toV duplex electrodes;

Fig. 4 is a front end view'of the'machine 55 shown in Fig. 3; y

Fig. 5 is a sectional view showing the platen of the machine of Fig. 4, swung 'into elevated position; y v

Fig. 6 is a cross-sectional view'on the line A-,A of Fig. 3; and

F ig. 7 is a perspective View of aduplex electrode with a mix cake appliedthereto. according to this invention.

According to the present invention, the moist electrolyte-containing depolarizing material is compacted in and extruded from a suitable mechanism such as the screw press- E, into an elongated body of the desiredv crosssection. As shown, the press E may consist of a casing 10 carrying a charging hopper-11 and containing a compressing and feeding screw 12 mounted `in bearings 13,. '14 and driven by pulley 15. The material is continuously advanced through the taperingcasing section 16 and discharged from a substantially rectangular orifice 17 onto a suitable table where it may be cut into loaves or .bars of the desired length for handling and forl use in the cutting and assembling machineM of so Figs. 3 and 4, where individual mix cakes are sliced from a loaf and applied to duplex electrodes. The extr'uding machine is desirably. glass coated or enamelled on the inside or made of material thatwill resist corrosion and wear and will not contaminate the `depolarizer mixture, and has a core 18 whereby a central hole is formed through the extruded body, for a purpose to be described. y 00 In order to against deterioration and eva ration of moisture content, they are pre erably coated on all sides with a lplastic adherent `insulating composition, such as a mixture of 50% scale wax, 35% grade E rosin and' 15% blown petroleum asphalt. This may be done yby spraying the 'composition onto the loaves or y dipping them into 1t,

the composition being hardened by heat if` desired and the ends of the holes in the loaves being plugged before the coating is applied. The coating and the plugs seal the loaves to prevent deterioration an loss of moisture when they are stored and handled. Moreover, the exterior coating on the loaf mechanically reinforces it so that crumbling and other damage are reduced, particularly while cutting oli' each individual depolarizer body or'mix cake, and the latter is likewise reinforced and insulated by the coating that remains on the entire perimeter thereof after it is cut from a loaf and applied to an electrode. y

As shown, the cutting and assembling machine M comprises a loaf holder and ui e H; a cutter frame C movable across the ont end of the holder H; and a platen P uponfwlich a substantial] posite electrod'e may be mounted, then' resented to the front end of la loaf in the ho der H to support the end of the loaf while a' `relatively thin rectangular mix cake is severed therefrom andl applied to the du lex electrode, and then-returned to its loa ingv position with the mix cake adherin to and accurately located on the duplex e ectrode.y g

The loaf holder and uide comprises a rectangular sheet metasheath 19 which is o at its upper corner where itis rovided with out-turned edges 19 whereby t e resilientiaheath ma be expanded to `insert the loaf endwise therein. vThe sheath 19, or if preferred, the loaf without a sheath, is mounted 1n a V-shape trough 20that is supported -by legs 21 upon the. machine bed 22.

The bed 22 also carries vertical guides 23 on opposite sides of lthe front end of the whichguides vthe cutter frame C is slide le. The cutter frame comholder H, alon prises an inverted U-shape yoke 24 that has a cutter 25j of metal ribbon extending across its lower end. One end of the cutter 25 is fixed to a bolt 26 and the other end so secured to a bolt 27 that the cutter may be drawn taut by turninlg this bolt at its upper end', the cutter being eld at the desired tension by lock nuts 28. The frame C may be reciprocated by suitable means, such as a vlever 29 which is connected to the yoke 24 and pivoted at 30, beyond which the lever carries a counter-weight 31 to assist in raisin the frame C. The cutter 25 is'thus movab e across the front end of the loaf holder to succeively shear of mix cakes of the de rectangular duplex or com sired thickness as the loaf is fed forward and the laten P is lowered to receive a cake.

' T e platen P may comprise a V-shaped channel member` or base 32 that is swingable about a horizontal pivot 33 on a bracket 33 secured to the machine bed. The base 32 carries the electrode support or seat 34, which is perpendicular to one end of the base 32 and has a horizontal leg 35 fittin in and slidably movable along the base, suc movement being limited by pins or bolts 36 secured to leg 35 andv arranged to enga ends of slots 36 in the base`32. A hook 3 or other suitable means may be connected to the platen assembly to operate the same. As shown, the

hook 37 is secured to the seat 34, so that the and to support the mix c'ake at its lower edges during the severing operation and while the platen is lowered and'raised.

The'electrode-seat is adjustable and ieldable longitudinally in the base `32 to ta e up wear and to lift the seat 34 slightly when the electrodes are inserted and withdrawn. To this end, the leg 35 carries a rearwardly extendin bolt 43. that projectsvthrough a ide anl abutment 47 on the base 32. Ad- ]ustable nuts 44 on the bolt 43 on one side of the guide 47 limit the rearward movement of the seat 34, and a spring 45 bearing against the other side of the guide 47 and against a head 46 on the bolt 43 normally yieldingly holds one of the nuts 44 a ainst 47. The bolt 43 may be of such lengt that the head 46 thereof will engage a racket 33 when the platen is swung up to slightly raise the seat 34.

Briefly, the ap aratus operations are as follows: Suitable epolarizlng material is fed into the press E and discharged in compacted loaf form, coated as described, and delivered to the holder of the cutting and applying machine M, where a slice is first severed from the front end of the loaf and discarded, if its face is coated. A pa er or pulpboard liner L which contains su cient excitant paste or against the liner L until the nut 44 abuts against 47, whereupon the end of the loaf and the electrode are pressed together, while the.A

cutter 25 is lowered and slices olf a mix cake which adheres to the liner L that in turn adheres to the duplex electrode. The platen is then swung up, the completed unit removed,

another paper-lined 4duplex electrode isin-` v for a battery of a given voltage may be directl removed for insertion in a battery box. It will be understood that suitable automatically-operated mechanism may be rovided for feeding depolarizer loaves; loa ing'paper-lined electrodes onto the laten; removing and stacking the complete units; and assembling a series of them in a battery box.

The relatively thin rectangular mix cakes produced according to this invention are of uniform density and size, their reinforced insulated edges resisting crumbling and reducing the possibility of detached mix particles getting into various parts of the battery. Durin the cutting operation, the elongated loaf o? rectangular cross-section is desirably disposedvin a horizontal position with one corner uppermost so that the descending cutter will first enterthe loaf at a corner, thus encountering less resistance in starting the severing operation and'reducing such tendency as there may beto crumbling or otherwise damaging the slice that is being'seve'red or the end of the loaf from which it is cut.` The composite electrode is, of course, also presented to the end of the loaf with one corner of the electrode uppermost, so that the slice will be symmetrically deposited on the electrode directl `as it is severed from the loaf. A complete ry battery unit is shown in Fig. 7 from which' it will be seen that the mix cake is of smaller area than the zinc plate of the duplex electrode. Moreover, each mix cake has a central hole therethrough which advantageously provides cavities or air spaces between the uccessive duplex electrodes of a battery, to rceive gas which is liberated and paste whichl expands in the inter-electrode spaces, as more 'fully explained in Dittrick and Chaney application, Ser; No. 160,961, Iiled January 13,1927.

While it ispreferable to stick a bibulous liner ontothe exposed zinc surface of the duplex electrode and then apply the mix cake to the attached liner, if desired, the mix cake may be applieddirectly to the carbon-coated side of the duplex electrode by placing the latter with its zinc side against the facing 38 on the seat 34 before the electrode is presented to the end of t-he mix loaf for severing a mix cake. However, this procedure requires that a liner 4L be placed on the ex osed side of each mix cake or on the expose zinc face of each electrode when the units are being stacked or -any time during manufacture but prior to the assembly of a number of units as a battery.

Because of its simplicity, the improved apparatus is not only 'comparatively inexpensive to install but is also less liable to get out of order and therefore more economical to maintain in efficient operating condition. The metal parts of the apparatus, particularly those contacting with the depolarizing material, are preferably made of material resistant to corrosion and wear, or may be glass coated or enamelled, to avoid contamination of the battery mixture and undue wear of the apparatus. Various changes may be made in the details of the disclosed construction without departing from the spirit of the invention.

I claim:

1. Process of making a dry battery unit that comprises compacting depolarizing mix into the form of a loaf;y coating the lateral surface of said loaf; pressing the end of said loaf andy a fiat electrode together; then cutting transversely through said loaf and its coating to sever a relatively'thin section ofl mix and coating while simultaneously depositing such section on' said electrode.

2. Process of making a dry battery unit thatV includes' providing a lcomposite fiat electrodev comprising a zinc plate having a carbon'aceous coatingon one face thereof vand a sheet of bibulous material onzthe other 3. In apparatus for making dry battery,

units, the combination of a support for a body of compacted de olarizing material; means for holding an e ectrodev against said body and means for cutting oi a section of said body adjacent said electrode.

4. Process of makin a dry battery unit that com rises compactmg depolarizing mix into the orm of a loaf; placing only the end of the loaf in contact with an electrode; pressing the electrode against the end of the loaf, and cutting a mix cake from the loaf while the electrode-and loaf are pressedtogether. l

. 5. Process of making a dry battery unit that com rises compactmg depolarizing mix into the orm of a loaf; pressing the end of the loaf and a fiat electrode together; then cuttin through the loaf to sever a thin secf tion t ereof while simultaneously deposit ing such section on said electrode.

.6. Process of makin a dry battery unit which includes provi electrode means com rising an anode mem r and a cathode mem r contacting with one side of said anode 5 member' applying a bibulous liner to the other si e of said anode member; ressing a compacted loaf of depolarize'r mix on the outer side of said liner, and cutting oi a depolarizer unit while the loaf and liner are compressed. l

In testimony whereof, I aix m signature.

HENR E. KIP. 

